Ladies of The Daily Show Resent Jezebel’s Lack-of-Ladies-at-Daily Show Thesis

The women employees of The Daily Show released a statement today combating the blog Jezebel’s charge that there is a dearth of female talent and a surplus of sexism at the show’s New York studios. “The Daily Show isn't a place where women quietly suffer on the sidelines as barely tolerated tokens. On the contrary: just like the men here, we're indispensable,” the counter-argument stated. Two weeks ago, Gawker Media’s blog Jezebel published a post called “The Daily Show’s Woman Problem,” in which author Irin Carmon spoke to alumnae of the show who asserted that “working there was often a frustrating and alienating experience.” The writers’ room is a boys’ club, and host Jon Stewart presides over his staff with “joyless rage,” Carmon wrote. Stewart himself summarized the post in a monologue last week: “Jezebel thinks I’m a sexist prick,” he said. The Daily Show’s women disagree. “Jon's rule is: the strongest idea and the funniest joke win every single time, no matter who pitches it--woman or man, executive producer or production assistant,” they wrote in the statement, which also contains “a partial list of things Jon has supported [them] through.” It includes anthrax, infertility, 9/11, divorces, and “inadequately researched blog posts that cling to a predetermined narrative about sexism at The Daily Show.” Carmon, in response to their response, wrote: “I just wish the show had agreed to answer questions or make anyone available to talk when I approached them for comment before the piece was published.”